


when will my life begin?

by sky_blue_hightops



Series: Sun and Moon AU [13]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bad Parent Gothel (Disney), Cassandra and Rapunzel are sisters, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Sisters, not the focus but worth tagging, thats just canon tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:47:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_blue_hightops/pseuds/sky_blue_hightops
Summary: “Raps, I love you, but-”Rapunzel grinned and strummed even harder. Cassandra winced, burying her face in her hands. “Raps,please-”
Relationships: Cassandra & Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled)
Series: Sun and Moon AU [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823434
Comments: 7
Kudos: 102





	when will my life begin?

“Raps, I love you, but-”

Rapunzel grinned and strummed even harder. Cassandra winced, burying her face in her hands. “Raps, _please-_ ”

There was no mercy in her sister’s evil, evil green eyes. Pascal squawked with alarm and hid deeper into Cass’s bob, tugging on strands and complaining loudly. “I know free days are great, trust me, I get it, but the guitar again are you kidding me _really_ -”

“It’s art!” Raps hollered, busting out a few more chords before taking a flying leap off the table and skidding to a stop. The aggressive shredding lived on for only a few more glorious, agonizing moments before Rapunzel took a deep breath, strummed her last, and bowed deeply. “Thank you, you’re welcome, I’m here all day-”

“-more like your whole life,” Cass muttered and rolled her eyes. Rapunzel gasped with mock offense, before strumming even _faster_ . “Okay, okay! I’m sorry, wait-” Cass couldn’t help but laugh, hands raised in surrender. “Stop before I can’t hear _anything_ anymore, Raps, geez. Give me that,” she wrenched the instrument from Rapunzel’s grip and set it aside. Rapunzel pouted at the loss but didn’t protest, only sidling up to Cass for a loose hug. Contact was always easy between them, casual and often, and Cass sighed and ruffled at Rapunzel’s hair. “Your birthday tomorrow, huh? Eighteen. Big number."

“Yeah, and you _know_ what I want but I just don’t think Mother will let me! _Us_ ,” Rapunzel amended. “Even though you’ve been out, I don’t think she’d ever trust anyone with me on the outside.”

Cassandra hummed, resting her chin on top of Rapunzel’s head. “What if Mother didn’t know?”

“Wait-” Rapunzel audibly gasped, craning her neck to look at Cass. “Are you saying-”

Cassandra shrugged nonchalantly, but the anxiety under her skin was anything but calm. “Hypothetically, if I offered to get you into town for your birthday…”

Rapunzel’s squeal was so loud Cass jumped and Pascal went flying, landing with a flash of offended bitter yellow, and she wriggled in Cass’s grip to squeeze her into a bear hug. “You’d do that for me?? For real?”

Cass grunted, ears ringing, and patted Raps on the shoulder firmly. “Yeah, yes- let me _breathe_ -” But Rapunzel paid her struggles no mind, already launching into a ramble.

“I’ve always wanted to see all the different _people_ and see _buildings_ and - oh, and roads! And… what are men like? What is the city like, can we see the shops and the horses and - _the lights_ , Cass, the lights!” Rapunzel abruptly let go to dart over to her paintings, spreading her hands over the plastered surface of her walls and pointing out all the things she’d only _dreamed_ of seeing. Her voice pitched high with excitement, and Cass only smiled and nodded and let her go absolutely nuts. Seeing Rapunzel happy was worth the risk, she realized. Plus, weren’t they old enough now? Wasn’t part of growing up doing dangerous things?

Nevermind that the reason it was dangerous was because of their mother’s potential reaction, and not the actual frights and terrors of the world. Nevermind that Cass was putting her own infrequent trips out of the tower at risk.

Cass jolted out of her thoughts when Rapunzel’s hands slammed down on her shoulders. “-and we have to visit an armory, Cass, we _gotta_ look at all the weapons and the stuff you love! This is going to be _perfect_ I can’t wait!” She seemed to finally run out of words, blowing a strand of hair out of her face. 

“Take a deep breath,” Cass reminded with a hint of amusement. “The real world isn’t as exciting if you’re not alive to see it, y’know?”

Raps giggled, before taking an exaggerated breath. “And remind me what’s up with your sudden change in attitude? I thought you _hated_ when I bring up going outside or leaving.”

“Oh, you know.” Cass waved her hand vaguely. “Eighteen. Big number.” Surely becoming an adult warranted a little incognito trip out, tomorrow, in the two hours Gothel would be gone. She just...needed to follow the plan. Or the lack thereof. 

It was fine! Everything was fine. Cassandra knew how to handle herself, how to protect her and Rapunzel. But...in case there _were_ crowds neither of them can handle, she had Owl. And- “How do you feel about us leaving...tonight?” Less likely to be spotted, less crowds. It was genius. They'd have a short run tonight, get some of the excitement out of Rapunzel's system, and then tomorrow leave _briefly_. Half an hour, tops. 

The answering squeal was loud enough to make Cass’s ears ring _again_.

* * *

It all went off without a hitch, for the first several steps. Probably. If the plan had steps. Or if Cassandra had a plan. 

_Either way_ , there was one blonde-haired girl currently swinging loose from the tower and one chameleon on her shoulder, so Cass would call that a success. “You’re close, just a few more feet!” she encouraged, leaning out the window. Rapunzel sent her up a shaky smile, feet wavering as she lowered herself closer….closer….

“How _dare_ you!” Cass jolted at the familiar voice, flattening against the inside of the tower’s wall. Rapunzel wasn’t quite so lucky, caught hanging in midair.

“Mother, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Rapunzel squeaked, swaying in the wind and gripping her hair with white knuckles. “I just wanted-”

“ _Get_ back up in that tower this _instant_ , young lady,” Gothel snapped. Rapunzel meekly began to inch back up towards the window, and flinched at Gothel’s loud, furious huff. “I leave for not even an hour and this - _this_ is how you repay my trust. I’m very disappointed, child. I always have been and this just _proves_ what I’ve been saying for years.”

Cass held her breath. Would...would Rapunzel tell on her? Admit to Gothel how this was Cassandra’s idea, make Gothel take away all Cass’s chances to leave? Rapunzel could, if she wanted to. The part of Cass that knew better was terrified. The part that believed in Raps more than anything in the world wasn’t.

But Raps didn’t say anything else. She merely hauled herself back in the window, and - froze, upon seeing the panicked look on Cassandra’s face. “Quick, hide in bed - I’ll tell her you were asleep, go, go!”

Far below, Mother’s insistent voice curled up through the air. “Dear, let down your hair. And then we’ll have ourselves a little _talk_ , hm?” Rapunzel gulped, hand already weaving through her golden strands, and nudged at Cassandra.

Cass rocketed up the stairs, wiggling into bed and under the covers, trying desperately to slow her breathing and relax her tensed muscles. Down in the main room, the window frame creaked as Gothel entered. Two sets of steps whispered across the floor. Rapunzel’s hair dragged lightly. 

“So.”

The silence dragged on. This was uncharted territory - they’d never tried something this brave before. Gothel had never caught Rapunzel _mid-escape_ before. Cass itched to be out of bed and in the conversation, to run damage control, but she could only listen. It was agony, she decided, face pressed into the pillows. She had no power.

“I’m sorry, Mother. I just wanted to feel the wind.”

A reasonable excuse, framed cleverly, but Cassandra could almost _see_ the disappointed squint in her mother’s brow. “And have I not told you countless times before to never, _ever_ leave this tower?”

“...Yes, but-”

“And did you leave the tower?”

“...Yes.”

A deep, put-upon sigh. Cass relaxed just barely. A sigh first, instead of a raised voice or yelling - it was a good sign. Maybe today _wouldn’t_ end in a loud, hours-long lecture. Maybe today Gothel would deem her burning disappointment a good enough punishment. “Extra chores until the winter solstice. Be very glad, Rapunzel, that I haven’t decided on anything worse. I very well could, for what you did today, but handling you two is _exhausting_ enough.”

“....I’m sorry.”

“Yes, I know, I’ve only heard it countless times, Rapunzel. Try it again when you mean it, hm? You’re always so desperate.” The creak of a door shutting. Gentle footsteps on the stairs. A warm hand on the hem of Cassandra’s blanket, near where it was tucked against her cheek. 

Cass resisted the urge to cry from frustration. “Raps, I’m...I’m really sorry-”

The look of pure heartbreak in her sister’s eyes undermined the brave face she attempted to wrestle into place. “It’s okay, Cass, really. It was a long shot. I’m sorry for asking…”

Cass grabbed her by the arms, pulling Rapunzel closer to look her in the eyes. “I love you, Raps. I really thought it would work this time. I can-”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Rapunzel replied with a small smile, leaning in to wrap her arms around Cassandra’s shoulders. “Honestly. Thanks for trying, Cass.”

“Yeah,” she sighed, defeated. It wasn’t easy to forget the disappointment, not this time, not seven years ago, or all the times in between - but Rapunzel’s forgiveness helped. “You’re welcome.”

And Rapunzel slipped under the blankets with her, and they held each other close, and Cass… almost drifted off to sleep, before freeing an arm to brush her fingers to Rapunzel’s temple gently. “Happy birthday, Raps.”

The answering smile was more than soft enough to ease her jagged guilt.

**Author's Note:**

> about time i wrote for these two! oops


End file.
